


Jinji and the Silver Necklace

by orphan_account



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Attempted Murder, Blood and Violence, Dreams, Dreams and Nightmares, Hurt/Comfort, Love/Hate, M/M, Misunderstandings, Murder, Murder Mystery, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:14:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24980659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Jinji enjoys his quiet life working as a Barista, and spending his money on books to sit and read by the river.When his dreams predict a series of grizzly murders which occur in his small town, it is up to Jinji to figure out the pattern and convince the Police of the true culprit.Will Jinji be able to face his past and save his future before it is too late.
Relationships: Original Character(s)/Original Character(s)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hola, my first work. PLZ SEND FEEDBACK! Greatly appreciated :)  
> Hope you enjoy, if I have made any mistakes with my typing, plz let me know <3  
> Also, this isn't finished, but IDK how to change the chapter count, sorry

A singular street lamp illuminated the dank alleyway, and the solo clicks of high heels rang out in the silence of the night. It was about half three in the morning, and a drunken party-goer was running through the abandoned streets of the City. It was very cold, and the woman only had a short shirt, and flimsy jacket on to keep her warm. Her make up was smudged, in a way that made it seem like she had been crying. She held her arm out as though she was in pain, but Jinji could not see any blood on her.

Jinji felt both present and not in that moment. He felt himself slink forward, as if floating. He could not feel the temperature around him, and could not hear the woman cry out as she was hit from behind by a hooded assailant. He could not involve himself in the violence, and was powerless to watch as the assailant hit the woman repeatedly, until she was on the ground, until she was not moving any more.  
The hooded figure dragged the body forward by the arm, and Jinji drifted as they moved. When they reached a small play park, Jinji watched helplessly as the poor woman was placed onto a swing, as if on display like some sort of sickening sculpture. The figure placed her arms onto the edge of the swing, and Jinji was horrified when the motionless body was given a soft push.  
The figure walked away, but Jinji could not follow them, he could only watch as the woman slowly swung, a horrendous imitation of a child playing.

…

Jinji woke up drenched in sweat. It was just beginning to lighten outside, and the first dregs of humanity were beginning their morning. The radio had woken him, announcing the morning news, and it took Jinji a few moments to shake the dream off. It was the most real-feeling dream he had ever had.  
He was in his messy apartment. The posters of the walls were still slightly faded, and the coffee stain remained on his bedside cabinet.

He ran a shaky hand through his hair, and closed his eyes for a few moments. It was only when the morning sunlight was blocked out that he paid attention to the radio announcers subtle accent.

“…The body was found at approximately half five this morning in Kumboko park, the victim has yet to be named, but their family has been informed. The death is being treated as suspicious given the way that the victim was found…”

The newsreader continued her report, but Jinji’s blood had run cold, it felt as if every hair was standing on end. He scrabbled around for his phone, finding it hidden under a half-crumpled magazine. He quickly unlocked it, and there it was. The first news story was asking if anyone had any information about the recent murder, but Jinji was only paying attention to one thing. The picture that was included at the top of the story was one of a children’s play park. A very familiar play park.

Jinji felt very sick. This had to be the weirdest coincidence in history. The dream itself was terrible, but this gave it a very real and horrifying twist. Jinji tried to calm himself, counting his swift breaths and lying back down.

After remaining in bed for longer than he could afford to (due to the fact that he had a shift at work in an hour) Jinji dragged himself into his clothes, forgoing a shower and breakfast as he didn’t have enough time. He locked his apartment and ran down the stairs onto the street below. It was a lot busier than it was when he had woken up, and Jinji narrowly avoided colliding with a passing skateboarder. He didn’t have time to apologise, because he was going to miss his bus!

...

Thankfully, the bus was running late, and Jinji even managed to find a seat.  
He swung into work just two minutes past the beginning of his shift, wrapping the apron string around his neck in the nick of time, as his boss rounded the corner and gave him a narrow-eyed glare.

Jinji had been working at ’Snow Flower’ Cafe and bakery for two years now, and his boss had yet to grow attached. His co-worker and friend, Ella, lazily tossed him a rag, and Jinji immediately made himself useful by wiping down the coffee machine.

The Cafe was quiet, which was not unusual for a Saturday morning, but it seemed particularly quiet, even the regulars were not conversing among themselves.

“You look horrendous”

Ella was not very tactful, but Jinji knew what she meant, he felt horrendous, really poorly, and as he looked down, his hands were still shaking. He buried his hands in his pockets, and turned to her with what he hoped was a reassuring smile, it probably looked more like a grimace.  
“Did you hear what happened…” she continued, “…I always thought that that park was creepy at night but this adds a whole new dimension. That poor girl, it’s as if the whole neighbourhood is mourning”.

Jinji didn’t reply, but he did feel a lot more ill than before. Ella appeared to sense his discomfort, and went back to stacking espresso mugs onto the shelf, whistling to herself to fill the uncomfortable quiet of the coffee shop.

Time slowed down for Jinji’s shift, moving at a treacle-like pace, each minute passed like an hour. When it was finally time to close the shop, Jinji was the last one left to lock up by himself. He was so tired at this point, and was listening to quiet music through his headphones whilst sweeping the floor. He kept thinking about the woman’s lifeless body in his dream, swinging sinisterly, back and forth, in slow motion.

Jinji locked the shop and caught the last bus home. His apartment was as messy as he had left it, and his window had been left open so some of the papers on his desk were swept across the room. Jinji had not eaten anything all day, and he really did not feel like it now, but he still forced down a toastie, and a small cup of tea. He was so tired, but his dream still haunted him so he didn’t really want to go to sleep.

…

Sunlight filtered through the window and onto Jinji’s face. A look at the clock proved that it was still early, but it was his day off, so the freedom of spending time doing what he wanted meant that he was able to lounge around for an hour or two. He felt particularly well rested, and it wasn’t until he was buttering a slice of toast for breakfast that he remembered his dream from the night previous.

The dream continued to prey on his mind as Jinji got ready for the day, pulling on a white shirt, and deciding to go for a walk around the neighbourhood as the weather was so beautiful. He locked his apartment and paid for a bus ticket to take him further into the centre of town. Jinji bought himself an ice cream, and started to look for a comfortable place to consume it. He had also remembered to pack himself a book, so he was looking forward to sitting on a bench and reading as the busy city continued around him. Jinji let his mind wander as he walked the familiar streets.

It was only when he was walking past a parked police car that he realised where his legs had unconsciously taken him.

‘Kumboko Park’ was one of the places that the local teenagers would go to hang out after a long day attending college. The youths would go there to smoke, day-drink and generally disrupt the park’s use - as entertainment for the smaller population of the City, those younger than the age of eight. Usually the park was swarming with activity, especially when the weather was so beautiful, but today it was walled off with the unmistakable blue tape of the police.

Jinji’s day suddenly got a lot more bleak, he could not help himself as he wandered forward, closer to the edge of the sanction. His palms felt clammy and he wiped them onto his jeans, feeling nauseous. He could just make out the top of the slide in the distance. He remembered his dream, the twisted shape of the body as it was dragged through the swinging gate, and the way that the assailant had beat her, aggressive and sharp with no remorse.

Jinji was so distracted by the scene that the clearing of a throat caught him entirely by surprise.  
Twisting around, Jinji did not recognise the man behind him at first, dressed in police uniform, a blue hat perched on his head. When he did recognise the man, Jinji was taken back five years, to staring at that same face in the classroom, wondering about whether his crush could be reciprocated, and imagining scenarios where he was even looked at with anything other than contempt.  
He tried to not think of that horrendous night at the party, but it was really difficult not to, the feelings rushed by like waves, and Jinji was left reeling, feeling uncomfortable and sweaty. He felt the sudden urge to sit down, and very nearly did when the other man continued to speak.

“You can’t be here, this is a crime scene, would you kindly come with me,” a pause, “Sir.”  
Even the voice was the same, and Jinji’s heart twisted even more.  
He would have loved to have been able to move, but he felt like the world was closing around him, he did not want to think about his past when he had dreamed about a very real murder, and was now face to face with the literal crime scene.

“Sir?” Jinji wanted him to go away. He wanted to re-start his day, and never return to Kumboko Park at any point if he could help it.

Jinji looked into his eyes, and watched the uncomfortable realisation enter his face slowly.

“Ji?”

“Don’t call me that.”

The police officer’s face shuttered over, as he stepped backwards.

“What are you doing here?”

…

Jinji met Jack when the two were at High School together. His feelings for the taller boy were there from the moment that he saw him. Jack was the new student, placed next Jinji in the seating plan, and whenever Jinji looked at him, it was as if little hearts floated around the boy’s head.

Jinji had always been small in comparison with the other teenagers at school, this fact had remained true to this day. His hair would never cooperate, and hung in limp, dark waves around his face, always messy, and always in his eyes. His eyesight was terrible, and he could not afford any kind of ‘cool’ looking glasses, just thick, cheap frames that were far too large for his face. He appeared as the epitome of a nerd, and many of the other children in school picked up on this.  
He was never explicitly bullied, he was far too quiet to gather any unnecessary attention to himself, but there were subtle comments on his appearance, and the way that he didn’t really have any friends. Jinji was content to entertain himself, but he still felt the cold, everlasting sting of loneliness when he watched other teenagers milling about with groups of friends in the cafeteria.

Jinji would spend many of his lunch times up on the school roof.  
It was technically against the school rules to travel up there, but Jinji was just one lone student, and he had managed to steal a key from the headmaster’s office when he was called in to be asked to tutor the new student, Jack.

Jinji and Jack did not really talk for the first month of Jack sitting next to him, but after Jinji was assigned to tutor the slightly older boy, the two were forced to converse. It turned out that they had a surprising amount to talk about, and for the first tutoring session, the pair only spoke about Elephant conservation, of all things. Jinji found out that Jack was not just a pretty face, he was so intelligent, speaking with a slight accent from his previous home. He displayed a thoughtfulness for the future which pleased Jinji greatly, and was conscious about what he wanted to do with his life.  
He listened carefully to any of Jinji’s thoughts, giving his own opinions, and arguing tactfully when he did not agree with some of Jinji’s ideas. Not many people took the time to listen to Jinji, the foster house where he was living had far too many occupants, so it was quite difficult for him to be heard. It felt amazing to be able to talk to someone who seemed to understand you, and the two would debate for hours at a time, about anything and everything.

Jinji introduced Jack to his secret space on the roof of the school, and Jack’s mother would even cook extra food for Jinji at lunch, insisting that the younger boy was far too thin, and needed to toughen up before he reached adulthood. 

For a year, it was perfect. Jack and Jinji were each other’s best friends, but this would not remain true for long.

…

Jack escorted Jinji away from the crime scene, not unkindly. He did not attempt to talk to Jinji, just silently walked him to the bus stop so that he could catch the bus home. Jinji did not talk to him, or even look in his direction, twisting his hands in front of himself awkwardly. 

As he got on the bus, Jinji looked back at Jack’s retreating figure, feeling an uncomfortable nausea thinking of the past, and thinking about returning home to his flat by himself.

It wasn’t until a week later that things for Jinji became more unusual.

…

It was dark again, this time he was outside a supermarket, the lights were still on, and he could see the fully-stocked fruit shelves from his position outside on the street. There was a singular figure leant against the outer wall of the supermarket, smoking a cigarette, other than that, the lot was completely abandoned.

Jinji watched as the small cloud of grey smoke dispensed into the air.

He looked closer to the figure, and noticed a dark shape at their feet. When he drifted closer, it became clear that it was not just a unrecognisable lump, but it was indeed a person.  
He could see a shock of blonde hair, matted and speckled with red, and the top of a pair of wide glasses. The person was being held up by the smoking figure, and as they tossed their cigarette away he watched as they let go and the body slumped

The hooded figure slowly walked away from the scene of the crime, and Jinji drifted slowly forward. He could make out the person’s face, but the rest of them was covered with a black plastic bag. Their features were also marred with bloody welts, and Jinji was about to look away from the horrific scene, before he felt a cold chill, and realised that the hooded figure had walked straight through him. Feeling ill, Jinji desperately tried to see the figure’s face, but he could not move any closer, it was like an invisible force was holding him back.

Jinji watched as the hooded figure grabbed what appeared to be a necklace from around the victim’s neck, and they swiftly walked away.

…

Jinji woke up screaming this time, the sound forced out of his throat before he even realised that he had made it. A glance at his alarm showed that it was half three. He was very sweaty, and it took him a while to look for his phone. When he did, Jinji immediately turned on the news. There was nothing, but there was no way that he was going back to sleep.

Jinji slipped his jacket on over the top of his pyjamas, and locked the front door of his apartment, racing down his stairs at top speed. He recognised that supermarket.

As he was running through the downtown streets in his slippers, Jinji thought that it was likely he looked insane to anyone passing by him, but because of the early time, thankfully the only character he ran into was a stray cat, hunting a single bird.

He was too late, and a swarm of police cars was present in the supermarket car park. There was an ambulance present, but Jinji knew that the victim was gone.  
He was panting, and sunk to his knees at the sight of the police, fuck.

It was at this moment that the pure stupidness of his actions hit Jinji.  
He was at a crime scene, the second one that he had been seen at.  
He had no way of knowing that this dream was any truer than the previous one, and he may have ended up running through the city in his pyjamas for no reason.

The other reason why he was regretting appearing at the crime scene was the fact that there could very well have been a real murderer present, and if Jinji had been early, there was the possibility that he might have run into them.

He was just about to turn around and flee the scene when Jinji felt a firm hand on his shoulder.

“We have got to stop meeting like this.”

Jack looked the same as when Jinji had seen him last; Dark hair swept across his forehead and the tanned, unmarred skin of his arms on show. Jinji noticed that there were two darkened circles under his eyes, and his hair looked greasy under his police cap.

Jinji’s mouth went dry, and he forced himself to reply with just the police officer’s name.

“You’ve been present at two major crime scenes Ji, do you want to tell me what’s going on?”

Jinji could only think about the way that Jack had still called him by the nickname that the taller boy had addressed him with when the two were in school together.  
He realised as well that Jack could have easily asked Jinji to go with him for Police questioning, after all, it did look suspicious, but could have just been an unlucky coincidence. Jinji was grateful that Jack was not drawing attention to him.

The other police officers who were mapping the scene had not noticed the fact that Jinji was there at all, and he thought for one, chaotic second that he could just flee, climb in bed and completely erase the morning.

Jack had not let go of his arm though, and he didn’t want to cause any unnecessary arrests. He was sure that if he got arrested he would certainly be fired from his job, and he quite liked working at the cafe, despite his horrible boss.

Quite abruptly, Jinji’s vision began go blurry, and he sagged in Jack’s arms. He suddenly felt sick, swaying back and forth, and it took quite a few moments for the fact that Jack was calling his name -his full name- to reach him.

“Are you alright?” Jinji was being held up by Jack, and he was sure that without the other man’s arms around him, he would be on the ground by now.

Jack looked really concerned, and it was jarring to see the younger friend-he-once-knew’s face as an older, more mature man. It was the same nose, the same eyebrows, and the same cut above his cheek from when Jack fell out a tree when he was eight. Jinji ached when facing the fact that he had missed so much of Jack’s life, and he wondered how he looked to the taller boy, whether he was drinking in Jinji and much as Jinji was drinking him in.

They had caught the attention of an older police officer, who had been milling about by the blue tape, and he strutted towards them, steps heavy and purposeful.

Jinji felt like he had seen this man before, and it wasn’t until Jack had reassured the officer that Jinji was not a suspicious person, that he had heard the sirens and come to investigate, that Jinji realised he knew the man from the solving of a murder case five years past.

The case was grizzly; thirteen murders which were ruled as suicides until some sort of evidence proved otherwise. Jinji was ten when the killer was put to justice, and he can remember staring at the Television feeling nauseous when faced with the horrific reality of humanity. It spooked him that someone could do anything to harm another, let alone thirteen, and he could remember going to school the next day, and not talking to anyone, not even the teacher when she asked him if he was ok.

PC. Johnson is a tall man, and he carried every fifty-two years of age in his troublesome posture, and the greying, well-kept moustache on his upper-lip.

Jinji managed to right himself, and stood up straight for the police officer, looking in his eyes, and trying to give him a reassuring smile, ‘No, I’m not dodgy at all, I just happened to be in this area at half six in the morning, three miles from my home in my pyjamas.’  
Jack had covered for him, a fact that he was very grateful for, and a fact that he didn’t really understand, they were supposed to be strangers, Jack had made that perfectly clear.

“Is everything ok, Rogers,” PC. Johnson’s voice was rough, but he gave Jinji a small smile as he looked at him, and Jinji immediately breathed a sigh of relief, his shoulders sagging minutley.

“Yes, Sir. Jinji is a friend from school, he lives nearby, I was about to explain what happened.”

PC. Johnson nodded, and walked away, and Jinji looked up at Jack’s pinched face. He looked away when Jack tried to catch his eye.

“Dammit!” Jack exclaimed quietly. “I was trying to avoid bringing you in for questioning, I wanted to ask you myself.” He wiped his brow, and Jinji’s eyes caught on a familiar bracelet on his wrist; a bracelet which matched the one on his own ankle. He was grateful that his pyjama trousers reached the floor, and had come unraveled in his mad dash to the crime scene.

“What do you mean?” Jinji was ashamed that his voice came out sounding hoarse, and he was still feeling slightly sick; like he was not really in his own body. The sun had started to rise higher in the sky, and Jinji was beginning to heat up. He realised that Jack had not yet let go of his arm, and tried to subtly shake him off. Jack abruptly stepped back.

“You’re going to have to go to the station to make a statement. You're one of the first witnesses at a crime scene.” Jack swept fingers through his hair, “Do you want to come with me to the station, I have to go down there anyway and I can give you a lift.” He shook his head when Jinji desperately tried to deny anything to do with the crime, thinking that he had been wrong, and Jack was actually arresting him. So much for the solidarity of being old friends.  
“It’s ok, I trust you. You can ride in the front of the car, don’t worry, I don’t think you had anything to do with this.” 

Jinji didn’t know why Jack trusted him so much, but he wasn’t going to question him, after all, Jinji looked incredibly suspicious given the circumstances. He did not try to run when Jack collected some more equipment, and silently followed him into an unmarked police car. The car smelt like old cigarettes and air freshener.


	2. The Aquarium

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo, just a warning for a description of a murder, it starts from, 'The room was so untidy' until, 'What appeared to be, a light blue necklace'. Hope I can keep writing this, and people read it <3

When they arrived at the Police Station, Jack led Jinji down a narrow hallway and into a singular waiting room.  
He had not eaten much over the past 24 hours, and this seemed to catch up with Jinji all at once. His stomach grumbled out loud, and his face started to heat up.

Without talking, Jack went to the vending machine and paid for a packet of crisps, handing them to Jinji without making eye contact.

“You just have to answer a few questions with Officer Ryan. He will explain what to do when you go in.” After seeing Jinji’s panicked face, Jack reassured him, “Don’t worry, you’re a witness, you have an alibi.”

“What do you mean?” Jinji was confused, was Jack really going to go so far, would he lie for Jinji to the Police? He didn’t really have an alibi, did he?

“Well, you don’t have one for this murder, but I am sure that if you checked the CCTV from outside your apartment then you would find nothing.”

The implication was clear, Jack had checked the CCTV from when the two bumped into each other before.   
It felt like a violation of privacy, but Jinji supposed that Jack had not really done anything wrong. He was also glad that the CCTV existed, and that Jack really didn’t suspect him at all.

…

Jinji was not led into an interrogation room like he was imagining, he was instead led into a small office by a short, rather plump man, wearing a white shirt and braces. The man offered Jinji a coffee, and sat down on one of the uncomfortable blue chairs, situated in the centre of the room.  
Jinji placed himself awkwardly in the chair opposite.

The man introduced himself, and began straight away, by establishing Jinji’s name and information, then proceeding to ask about the neighbourhood.  
Jinji tried to remain calm during the investigation, answering the questions to the best of his ability, but he could not help the fast pace of his heart, and the clamminess of his palms. The crisps were not really filling his stomach, and Jinji tried to ignore the sickening, empty feeling.

The interview went on for just half an hour, and by the end, Jinji could feel a fuzziness in his head which foreshadowed an impending migraine.

Police Officer Ryan was very understanding, and it was clear that the interview was just a standard one in order to try and collect information about the crime scene. Even though Jinji knew that he had not done anything wrong, he couldn’t help but feel guilty, and for a split second when he was sat in that uncomfortable chair, he thought about describing his dream, but decided that he would probably seem crazy.

When he exited the office, Jinji was surprised to see Jack stood outside in the waiting area. He had a Greggs sandwich and an Iced Tea, and held the two out to Jinji as he was walking past. Jinji didn’t quite meet his eyes as he took the two.

Jack walked Jinji to the front door of the Police Station but did not attempt to make any sort of conversation with him. Jinji expected Jack to tail off at any moment into one of the unnamed rooms lining the corridor.

When the two reached the front, Jinji continued walking, but Jack stopped and reached out to grab him on the shoulder. Jinji’s flinch was not a big one, but he could tell that Jack felt it all the same. He moved back.

“Jinji, are you ok?”

Jinji realised he was shaking again, and slid his hands into his pockets.

“I’m alright, Jack.” It felt weird saying his name, and twisted something uncomfortable in Jinji’s stomach, something nostalgic.

Jack looked up from where he had been playing with the corners of his jacket, mouth curling into an awkward smile.

“Thats good.” He zipped up his jacket, and shifted, as if to put his hand on Jinji. He must’ve decided against it at the last second, and his arm hung limply at his side.

It was unbearably uncomfortable, and the awkward silence went on for too long.

“Well… I’ve gotta get going.” Jinji moved to leave, but Jack’s voice stopped him.

“Wait, Jinji, lets meet up. For coffee.” He looked younger then, more like the boy he once knew. Jinji thought for a second about saying no, forgetting the whole business, and probably purchasing some sleeping tablets, or at least some tea to help him sleep.

He had already answered before he had really meant to.

“OK”.

…

Three days later, Jinji stood in front of his wardrobe debating what to wear. He wasn’t trying to impress Jack, that ship had long-since sailed, but Jinji still wanted to make a good impression. He debated whether he should wear formal or informal clothes, and by the time he had chosen an appropriate outfit, he was running late by ten minutes.

When he arrived at the Cafe, a Starbucks of course, Jack was nowhere to be seen. Jinji ordered, and decided to sit outside of the coffee shop, as it was such a nice day.   
The sun warmed his face, and the waitress brought his drink, offering a pastry, “On the house.”

Jinji did not have to wait long, and he watched as Jack cautiously rounded the corner. He had not been seen yet, so Jinji had the opportunity to take everything in. Jack hadn’t aged badly, with only a few wrinkles around his eyes (smile lines Jinji thought, not-unkindly) and the area around his mouth was darkened with the shadow of a growing beard.

When he was noticed, Jinji stood up sharply, not really knowing why. He stuck out his hand, and Jack shook it.

“So…”

It was awkward again, but Jack seemed determined to catch up with Jinji’s life. He proceeded to ask many questions, nodding along and listening raptly to the answers that Jinji provided. It wasn’t until the same waitress came over and, very politely, asked them to leave that Jinji became aware of the time.

What had they spoken about in particular? Jinji couldn’t recall any relevant information, but he felt content with their interactions, a melancholy reminiscence of time past, and a subtle bitterness of missing out on so many days of Jack’s life, ringing in his head as he boarded the bus home.

…

Jinji shouldered his rucksack, closing his locker with an abrupt slam, making himself flinch minutely. The hallway was abandoned, even the janitor had left earlier in the evening, and Jinji felt the hairs on his arms standing on edge due to the unnatural quiet.

His guitar felt heavier than usual, and the weight of it at his side meant that one of his arms was useless and out of action as a larger body landed on his back. Jinji screamed out loud, and tried to shake the figure off, when Jack’s grinning face swam into his vision, Jinji watched as Jack’s features dropped and he took in the image of tears on his best friend’s face. Jinji tried to turn his head, to hide his face, feeling shame given the fact that he had been reduced to tears over a scare.

“Ji…” Jack looked so worried, and Jinji felt really guilty.

“I’m ok Jack, you just scared me, thats all.”

The reality was that when he lived in the orphanage, Jinji had been scared like that on many occasions, and was accustomed to being locked in cupboards (or on one horrendous occasion, in the fridge). His heart was beating hard in his chest, and sweat had started to accumulate under his hairline. Jinji had always been small, and the other children took advantage of that. As soon as he was old enough, Jinji was going to move very far away from this town, and he wanted to take Jack with him.

“Jinji, look at me…”

Jack was holding a daisy, and he moved quickly to place it behind Jinji’s ear. Jinji’s brow furrowed, and he was left to wonder the significance of the action as Jack took his hand and started to drag him down the hallway.

It was raining outside, fat drops moving slowly down the College’s tall windows, and passerby running for shelter, umbrellas upturned. Thick puddles were beginning to form, and Jinji’s foot was wet as the pair ran together through the sleet.

Jack led Jinji to a tram stop, paying for the pair’s tickets, and denying Jinji the opportunity to witness where they were going.

Jack’s hair was wild from where he had run his hands through it, and Jinji was glad that he was holding Jack’s hand, because for a moment he lost his footing, tripping forward into the swiftly-forming sludge of mud at the side of the road. Jack dragged him up, continuing at a exaggerated pace, his shoes slapping the ground.

They approached the aquarium at such a speed, that Jinji did not recognise what it was until the pair were at the towering gates, which were decorated with a rather garnish, faded sculpture of a fish.

“The whole place is closing down, It’s the last day.” Jinji did not know this. “They didn’t advertise it, but the tickets are half price, I thought you might like it.”  
Jack was speaking quickly, stumbling over the syllables which was uncommon for him. His ears were slightly pink, but there was no hint of a blush on his high cheekbones, Jinji tracked a drop of water as it descended Jack’s pale cheek.

Jinji looked forward at the faded doors of the aquarium.

The place had been old and dilapidated in all the time that Jinji had known of its’ existence. The tickets were too expensive, so Jinji had never been, but a girl at the orphanage had dated someone who used to work there, before he got fired for embezzlement. Jinji had loved listening to stories about the various fish and amphibians who were inhabitants at the declined glory that was ’South Merchants Aquarium’.

He had once voiced his interest to Jack, who seemingly remembered that minute detail that Jinji had shared. He must have been waiting for an opportunity like this one, when the tickets were half the price, and the pair could afford the entry fee.

Jinji felt his heart fluttering, and realised abruptly that Jack was still holding onto his hand. He didn’t drop it.

Jack paid for both tickets, and declined Jinji’s offer to pay him back.

“You can just pay next time”.

The aquarium foyer might once have been glorious in it’s prime, but now it was dusty and decayed, mould growing on the damp ceiling. There were cobwebs high up in the corner of the room, old and broken.

There were few people milling about, and he was certain they were only here to escape the weather. They made no move to buy tickets, and a few held small coffee cups, evidently justifying their presence with an expensive beverage.

Jack led Jinji past the turnstile, giving their tickets to a bored-looking girl wearing a wrinkly blue uniform, a smiling wale emblazoned on the shoulders. Jack was still holding his hand, and Jinji felt his heart beating fast in his chest.

The main hall of the aquarium was dark, and there were a few people walking separately, illuminated by blue lights lining the walls. Jinji paid them no attention, and instead focused on the multicoloured cocktail of fish.

Jinji moved forwards, taking in the huge tank full of purples, greens, browns and greys. There were small fish darting in and out of a synthetic reef, moving with sudden strokes, abruptly changing direction, they appeared to be playing hide and seek. Flattened rays danced before his eyes, their wings fluttering, etherial in the slowly twinkling light. 

Jinji was enthralled. His eyes couldn’t take it all in at once. He drifted from tank to tank, leading Jack by the hand, and exclaiming his growing excitement. Jack and Jinji wandered from room to room, looking at the various exhibitions as the inhabitants shifted before his eyes.

…

The aquarium was dustier, darker, more imposing, cheap chairs upturned and grimy in the foyer. The grand entrance appeared sinister, wallpaper peeling and black wax dripping from the damp walls. The turnstile was still in the same place, and Jinji drifted past it, glancing at the garish coffee advertisement, and the singular coffee cup, still perched on the table, as if waiting for its owner to return and claim a sip.

Light was coming from down the dark hallway, and Jinji drifted forward towards it, glancing around at the dried-out tanks and cobwebs that lined the wall. He approached a closed door, and when he went to try the handle, he just drifted straight through.

On the other side was a badly-lit office. There was a desk in the centre of the room, with a grey safe on the right side. There were no windows, so the room felt stuffy and cramped, and the sofa had half the stuffing poking out. A bookcase in the corner of the room was crumbling in on itself, old brown parchment revealed by the broken books lying next to it.

The room was so untidy, it took him a while to realise that there was someone else in there at all.

She was lying on her front partially behind the desk, dark red hair spilling across the floor, dust particles swarming round the back of her pale neck.

There was an un-natural stillness to her figure, and Jinji could tell by a cobweb forming from the back of her shoe that she had been in the dusty room for a while. He could not smell her, a fact for which he was supremely glad, but his blood still chilled with the sight of her grey hands, and her obvious demise.

He imagined that he was a police man, like Jack, and that he was entirely fearless, looking at a sanctioned crime scene, and thought about what they might do.

They would look for clues.

He could not seem to move anything, as though all the strength had been sapped from his body, so he settled for looking around that tiny room for anything that might give him an idea about how she had gotten here.

Jinji looked at the desk, reading a resignation form, a bill addressed to ‘Mr Buckley’, and a personal letter addressed to ‘John’, which was held under a large paperweight shaped like a sea horse. He could not move the topmost papers in order to continue his reading, so he tried to keep the names in his head.

The bookshelf was looking particularly grizzly, and Jinji looked at any titles that he thought might be unusual for an aquarium to have. He found various rule-books and a dictionary, as well as faded guide books and even a Bible. He didn’t think that the bookshelf hid anything obviously out of place, and he knew that he was just procrastinating the inevitable, looking at the girl on the floor.

She was wearing an orange hoodie and a green skirt, Jinji noted, although the colours had faded with time. There was a small handbag on her person, orange like her hoodie, with a faded chain still wrapped around her arm. He could not see her face, but he could make out the back of her neck, and her ear; which was grey and had a great many piercings. He looked away to swallow away nausea.  
He leant forward, but could not overturn her. He could see that her leg was sticking out at an odd angle, and there was a blackened stain on the milky brown carpet by her head.

She was wearing no jewellery around her wrist, just the thin strap of a watch. He looked around her neck, and just as he leant forward to see, what appeared to be, a light blue necklace, he felt his vision tightening, eventually fading to black.

…

When Jinji woke, he was back in his messy apartment with a hefty weight on his chest. He had fallen asleep reading again, but the breathlessness that he felt was not purely due to the hefty book crushing his airways.

That dream felt real, exactly like the other two, which had foreshadowed and predicted the following grizzly murders.

He knew that he couldn’t run to the aquarium any time soon however.

It had burned to the ground thirteen years ago.


End file.
